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Did Black Friday Surprise You?

Whether you looked at a newspaper, watched a television program, walked into a store or talked to a friend, the chances you heard about Black Friday and the anticipated sales are close to 100 Percent! No surprise here! It’s doubtful that the advertised, over-the-top sales caught you by surprise. Coupons were crammed in your mailbox so that no one had an excuse to miss out on what businesses labeled “the year’s biggest sales.”

As the day approached, I felt my panic level begin to rise. The pressure to take advantage of this day and the apprehension of a rapidly approaching commercial Christmas were choking the breath out of me. I just wanted to bury my head under a pillow or curl up under a warm throw and savor the remnants of the leftover Thanksgiving celebration.

With my insides tied up in knot, my mind began making a correlation between Black Friday and the Second Coming of Christ. Black Friday was heralding in an commercial advent of Christmas while the Second Coming of Christ is the True Advent for which Christians await with awe-inspired joy. And, it will be a surprise (See Matthew 24:36-44). The question that kept coming to my mind was: “Am I as prepared for Christ’s coming as I am for Black Friday (BF)?”Click to Tweet

While I ignored the ads, refused to be sucked in by the hype, and tried to pretend the BF wasn’t coming, there will be no ignoring the Second Coming of Christ whether it happens at the end of my life or at the Father’s set time in the future. Am I prepared? There will be no burying my head in a pillow or curling up under a comfy throw. Christ will come with a trumpet blast and the skies will be filled with His glory. Yet terror will grasp the hearts of those who are unprepared. (See 1Thess. 4:16)

There will be no ads to show you how to prepare for this once-in-lifetime event. No coupons to help you earn your way into Christ’s Second Coming. And television will not offer you an upcoming preview of that time, but the networks may be left in the dust as they try to report on this cataclysmic event.

How can I prepare myself for the most important day of my life, my eternity, when I have no clue when it will be coming? By spending each day NOW with Jesus. Each morning, my heart should awake with the anticipation of meeting Him in prayer and worship. The longing to follow His path for my life should be ignited by reading His word. My spirit needs to be open to His Spirit feeding me the soul food of His love.

That is how I must prepare myself to meet the Lord whenever and wherever He comes for me. This must be the priority of my life.

Today is the day, says the Lord. If you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts. (2 Corinthians 6:2 and Hebrews 3:15) I have heard His voice, I must take Him seriously, and now I must act.

“But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything done in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives.” 2Peter 3:10-11 NIV

It’s funny, but I was also reflecting on Black Friday a couple of weeks ago. I wrote about the other *Black Friday* when Jesus was nailed to the Cross. But I love how you have provided a *bookend* for my thoughts with a future Black Friday when He will return.

There is nothing more important than accepting the Gift of Salvation. For on that coming judgment day, because of His blood, we will be redeemed!!

It is true there will not be any headlines, or coupons advertising our Lord’s return, only the messages already in our Bible telling us to be ready and not procrastinate but to receive Jesus now and keep our garments clean. I must admit I did take advantage of a sale on the Inter-net for some Children’s lessons for our church. I enjoyed your take on Jesus and his Black Friday. Thank you for sharing with us here at Tell me a Story.

Thank you for showing us the connection between Black Friday and the second coming. Being prepared for Christ is easy enough if we choose to be intentional as you described above.

Spending time each day in the quiet presence of God is the best preparation I can think of doing too. Thank you for reminding us to joyfully anticipate this time each morning when we wake up. Blessings, my friend!